Fair Maiden
by Kim Pluedeman
Summary: Kagome is kidnapped by Naraku, and as InuYasha desperately searches for her he finds her scratched and bruised but unharmed. But is she really?
1. Chapter 1

A small hole was dug within the middle of a thick tree trunk, and inside this miniscule hole sat a hot-tempered half demon. _Of all the places to be stuck, this had to be it, didn't it?_ Inuyasha asked himself as he felt his foot fall asleep underneath him. It started tingling with the white-hot needles that overcome a numbed foot frequently and though he wished dearly to stretch and run for a bit, he knew he could not. The night of the full moon was not yet over. It seemed to last forever in this cramped place, but if anyone were to find him in such a weakened state, especially an enemy, he would most likely not be able to do anything about it.

So, as the numbness started running up his legs that were squished against his chest tightly, he thanked Kagome secretly for the hiding spot. She sat in a much more comfortable place, not far away in the bushes. Guard duty was her job tonight as she awaited the sun to arise on this dreaded night. Sango and Miroku were guarding from afar. Kagome sighed lightly, hoping not a soul heard it. This was tiring work and very tedious, but if it was to protect Inuyasha, then she'd rather do this than anything else. Her bow poised, supported by a nearby tree branch, she stifled a yawn and proceeded to keep her eyes sharp, looking one way and the other for any signs of movement. Once or twice a squirrel darting by startled, or a rustle of the autumnal leaves gave her the chills, but other than the minor movements there were no other great disturbances. Her eyes longed to close, to see the warmth of a bed draped in blankets upon blankets and to collapse into it, falling into a deep sleep, or to have a proper bath for once. It had been almost three days since she'd had a decent bathing, and, quite honestly, she felt gross. Inuyasha might be able to go longer without a washing, but she couldn't stand it.

She pulled out a thermos from her backpack and twisted off the cap, pouring out a cup of hot cocoa to drink. Not so hot anymore, she still sipped it graciously. It gave her a small amount of energy, just long enough to go for another fifteen minutes. The light outside was starting to grow in increasing amounts, and the sky turned from a dusky blue-grey to a light blue with traces of pink and orange. Kagome watched the sky turn different colors and let it all sink in slowly. It was one of those moments. She wished Inuyasha could be here to enjoy it with her, but he probably wouldn't get the feeling the same way. He'd probably complain about how lame it was just to sit there and watch the sun when you can do that almost every morning. _What a loser,_ Kagome thought to herself as she looked over to the tree trunk. She looked at her watch and there was only two minutes left before sunrise, so she decided to go over to him and give him some cocoa. _Maybe that'll cheer him up! He's been stuck in there all night…_

She started to get up, but stopped short of stretching. She felt something, faint though it was, but she felt it. A jewel shard was approaching. And fast.

She slowly grabbed her bow and arrow, and fitting an arrow on quickly and quietly, she aimed it towards the direction of the shard. She waited with baited breath, breathing not, as the presence became clearer and clearer until it was almost right in front of her. She was ready for anything. Just then, a blinding light enveloped the wood and everything in it. She shielded her eyes, dropping her guard. A dark figure jumped out of nowhere and hit her across the head, paralyzing her. She fell numbly to the ground and she lay there, screaming inside for someone to help her. Her eyes were open, but a glazed look was layered over them. She watched as the light vanished instantaneously, and the sun had risen. Inuyasha had jumped out of his tree trunk, back to normal, but too late; Naraku swept Kagome up into his arms and carried her to the top of the hill.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. "Don't you touch her! Naraku!"

Naraku looked down on her, an emotionless look plastered on his face. He grinned slyly in Inuyasha's direction. "Inuyasha. It is truly fate that we should meet. I presume you want her back?" He looked back down at her, a truly evil laughter emerging from his vile lips. "Well, you'll have to come get her. If you can…"

Inuyasha jumped forward, but yet again he was too late. A whirl of poisonous miasma swirled around Naraku and he arose, floating far above and leaving Inuyasha screaming on the ground. As Kagome lay in Naraku's arms, muffled thoughts ran pell-mell through her head. _Inuyasha! I can't move! Please help me! I… I want to… to see you… again… _And with that, she fell unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Inuyasha sat, breathing heavily and swearing non stop under his breath at Naraku. How could he do such a thing? Taking Kagome was the biggest possible way of ticking him off, and right now he was more than hurt. He never wanted to admit it before, but he cared more about her than… well, life itself. He would give anything up just to smell her scent and hold her in his arms one last time. He would even become human for her. But that wouldn't be possible until they got the Shikon Jewel, and without Kagome, who could sense the jewel, they would get nowhere. He sat up, brushing himself roughly off and rising to his feet, he stared off into the distance where the now small cloud of miasma was traveling, disappearing quickly into the now rising sun. It was traveling towards Mount Fuji, and by the looks of it, it would land somewhere over them. He could wait for the others, but all that lay in his mind was Kagome and what Naraku might be doing to her at this very moment. So, without hesitation, he ran at full speed through the woods, eyes intent on the destination ahead.

_Kagome, you'd better not die on me…_


	3. Chapter 3

Murky shapes clouded her sight. Mixed colors weaving in and out. What was that? Was it…

"Inu…yasha…"

She opened her eyes a little wider, and the scene before her became clearer. Kagome was laying on a straw mat in a darkly lit room that held no windows. She tried to get up but found herself unable to. _I'm paralyzed! Oh, no!_ she thought to herself as her body would not move. She glanced around and noticed a door on her left, covered in an intricately designed blanket. It depicted demons of different color and shape, all encircling one tiny orb of light. The Shikon Jewel. It was so beautiful, yet so evil and vile. A small lamp, barely lit, lay in the corner to the right of her. It sputtered and flickered, almost daring to go out at any minute. She was scared, cold, and didn't know where she was or where Inuyasha was either. If only he would get here soon…

Someone entered from the doorway. A man dressed in a dark blue kimono, long black hair that waved as if it were an endless sea, and cold, merciless eyes stood before Kagome. Those black eyes looked down upon her with no compassion or remorse, or even any sign of life. They just stared, and as Kagome looked into them, she could see nothing but endless black, going on and on forever. It was Naraku.

He sat next to her, cross-legged. The smirk he wore on his pungent face was more than enough to make Kagome cringe, but she could do nothing of the sort. All she could do was stare into his eyes, loathing the thing that sat beside her. It was he that killed Kikyo, he that took over Kohaku and made him inhuman, he that cursed Miroku and gave him a powerful weapon that would eventually eat Miroku alive. And it was he that Kagome wanted to kill.

"You who possesses the sacred powers, who has thwarted my plans many times, and who also carries sacred arrows that have robbed my body of strength, you lay before me and can do nothing," Naraku said, looking down on her. "You should consider yourself lucky that I have let you live this long unharmed. But I have bigger plans for you," he added, leaning in closer and closer to her.

She tried to move away but couldn't. She knew what he was going to do, but could not prevent it. What was he thinking? He loomed closer and closer, and as he did, he whispered, "I want you, Kagome…" And with that, he kissed her passionately.

She slid out of reality into a dream state for a moment, not daring to move or resist. It was too good to be true. She was… enjoying this. It was her lifelong dream coming true. He was the one. But… Inuyasha's face swam into her mind, his sweet kind eyes looking at her, and his long gleaming hair. She stopped short. Her mind jumped back to where she was, and Naraku was leaning over her, kissing her. She rebelled, but couldn't move for paralysis took over her body. All she could do was sit and hate it.

He kissed her with even more passion, entering her mouth and searching every inch out. She was screaming in her mind for him to stop, for him to quit touching her, to just die, but none of her thoughts came true. He moved his hand from her face down her arm and reached for her shirt. Tugging slightly on it, he began to undo her top. _No! No, you can't do this to me! No… please…_

Naraku pulled her shirt off to reveal the lacy bra she was wearing underneath. He then began kissing her stomach lightly, moving slowly downwards towards her midriff. As he reached the hem of her skirt, he reached for the zipper on the back side. He tugged at it slightly, pulling it downwards. With one swift pull her skirt came off, revealing her lacy underwear to match the bra. He began to pull off his kimono, quickly it seemed, and, shortly afterwards, lay before her, completely naked. He kissed her passionately again and pulled her bra and underwear off. As he rolled on top of her, ready to enter her body, Kagome's internal screams building up to a dull roar, the light in the corner went out.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Sorry for such a long wait, but here's another chapter. I was in writer's block mode, but hopefully I won't get back in for a long long time! kim_**

InuYasha ran quickly through the forest, trying desperately to catch a scent of her, anywhere. Trees blurred by and still no trace of her. It had been two days since Naraku had taken her. _Damn! Where is she?_ He thought to himself as he continued to dart throughout the forest. He stopped to sniff the ground, even though his hope was waning. Maybe, just maybe…

_No! She's alive, I just know it!_

He jumped up, pushing off of the tree branches to scan the sky for any signs of Naraku. He reached the upper canopy of a particularly old and tall oak tree and he sat there, sniffing the wind furiously. There was nearly no wind blowing over his worried face, which didn't help for scents at all. His eyes kept darting round the forest top, for anything…

Just then, a particularly strong gust of wind nearly blew him out of the tree. It carried with it a strong scent of fresh bloodshed. Not only that, but it was familiar…

He jumped down quickly, fear flooding his veins. He took off at top speeds towards the source, wondering now how he could have missed such a strong scent. It was overpowering his senses, giving him a headache. _Please, oh please let her not be dead,_ he thought to himself furiously as he dodged a tree and pushed himself even faster. _If she is… I don't think I could live with myself…_

He heard rushing water and bounded into a clearing. A rushing waterfall was cascading down a small cliff; the water crashed noisily down on the pool beneath it. It bubbled and frothed before disappearing into the clear depths. He spotted her instantly and had to stifle a gasp; she was laying at the pool's edge opposite from him, staring blankly into the waves playing with the edge. Her crimson blood trickled into the waves, disappearing into the water. He sat, momentarily paralyzed with shock and disbelief, before diving headfirst into the pool. His mind was set on getting to her and all other thoughts were cast aside. He had to reach her, even if it meant swimming through freezing waters. Each stroke seemed like a mile, each second became an hour; it seemed to take forever for the half demon to swim the length of the pool. The currents swirled dangerously round him, the waterfall crashed noisily round him, but he swam on, set on only one thought: _Get to her… make sure she's alright… make sure she's not dead…_

He finally reached the other side and climbed out, not even bothering to shake all the excess water out of his robes. He reached his hand out to her slowly, now unsure whether he wanted to know if she was alright. His hand touched the vein in her neck, and he let out a sigh of relief; there was still a fairly strong pulse. Her eyes seemed glossy, out of focus, though…

He gently scooped her up into his arms and started to run, to where he didn't know. They needed to get out of here, find somewhere they could stay for a while and rebuild her strength. InuYasha growled under his breath as a cave became visible nearby. _Naraku is going to pay…_

**_Please review! kim_**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! I'm glad I'm picking this story back up, because there's so much potential for it. I'm also having dreams about the ending, and they're really vivid and detailed dreams, so I predict by the end of the year this baby's gonna be wrapped up! Enjoy!

_Dark shapes passed in and out of shadow, gliding past her, unperturbed by her desperate cries to them. She lay, unable to move, to breathe, to even see clearly. Her body was slashed and maimed, blood flowing so freely from so many wounds. She was weak, hanging on by a thread. No one listened to her pleas of help. _

_She was about to give up, to let herself go, when the sound of soft rustling came upon her ears. It was soothing, really, to hear it so close to her, so comforting… And then, the pain lifted from her body. She felt relaxed, calm, at ease. There was nothing else to it. She let herself fall into robes of red which cradled her gently and made her drift away into nothingness. It was… it was pure bliss._

_She opened her eyes and saw nothing but red; red and a soothing face. Ripples of silky fabric swirled round and round, and his face was filled with concern and worry… and love…_

Kagome awoke from her dream-like state with a moan. The pain had returned to her almost instantly, but it was a dull pain that encompassed her entire body. She tried to push herself into an upright position when a hand pushed her back down and she screamed lightly.

"Hey! It's just me! You shouldn't be getting up, Kagome, you need your rest!" His familiar voice echoed lightly in the room and Kagome sighed; it was InuYasha, but she couldn't see him very well. It was way too dark in this… where were they?

"Where… What… How did I--?"

Thinking hurt way too much as well, as if the dull aching reached her brain muscles too. She stopped talking and closed her eyes, letting the cool darkness envelop her weary mind. InuYasha's hand was still on her shoulder, in case she started to get back up and try to move again. It was comforting, actually, for him to be so concerned with her; he usually sulked in the corner.

"InuYasha?"

He grunted, signaling that he was listening.

"I was scared when… when he took me… I thought that…" Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes and her head began to hurt again, but she couldn't stop the flow of warm salty drops that slid down her cheeks to the ground. InuYasha sensed it too, and grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry, Kagome, I'll never leave you again," he spoke softly as he held her hand within his and massaged it. "We'll talk when you're better, okay?"

Kagome looked up through her tear-filled eyes and saw his amber eyes glisten in the darkness. She hiccoughed several times, trying to control her shaking and trembling.

"InuYasha? Will you stay with me tonight? I- I don't think I'll be able to sleep well…"

He laid his body down next to hers and wrapped his arms around her body, one cradling her waist, the other around her head. He ran his fingers through her silky smooth hair and she sidled her head to rest on his upper arm. She nuzzled her head into his robes and closed her eyes, drifting away into something between reality and dreams.

"Kagome? I'm--"

He glanced down at her after five minutes or so, but saw that she was sound asleep in his arms. He pulled her closer to his body and cuddled down into a more comfortable position.

"I'm glad to have you back…" InuYasha rested his head right above her own, letting her long hair become his pillow. Her breathing was light and shallow, and he could hear her heart beat slowly throughout her body. As he drifted to sleep as well, he lightly whispered to her.

"I love you…"

And with that, he drifted into his own dreamland.

Please review! I really appreciate it!

Kim


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I hope everyone enjoys it; the next chapter will be coming out when I get a break from homework... the college life is becoming more hectic! Well, enjoy!

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Sunlight flooded into the room and Kagome fluttered her eyes open, trying to block the sun from stinging at her pupils. Her body still ached, but she was warm and comfortable; this made her pain almost disappear from her body. As her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight flooding in from what seemed to be the entrance, her surroundings became known to her. She was laying on a dirt ground that was devoid of any rocks or stones. Rock walls ran up and became rock ceilings; it was a domed cavern that InuYasha had brought her to. The sound of crashing water was floating into the cave softly, yet it wasn't loud enough to keep one awake. Kagome still laid groggily on the ground, too tired and weary to move much at the time. She was still remembering the night before; it was comforting to have him next to her, cradling her in his arms, not having to worry about anything getting to her in reality or dream…

Her eyes popped open; _Where was InuYasha anyways?_

She sat up gingerly, her muscles still aching dully but not enough to deter her from walking around. As she sat upright, something fell from her shoulders and she caught it before it hit the ground. It was InuYasha's robe of the fire rat. _He must have put it over me before going out,_ she thought to herself as she draped it over her shoulders once more. The thought of him leaving it for her made her blush a bit more, and she smiled to herself, thinking of him even more.

She finally got completely vertical, which took a lot of time for the considerably short distance to rise. Her legs felt shaky and weak, but she took each step cautiously, letting herself be guided by the cavern walls. Her hand moved over several ruts and bumps in the wall; surprisingly, it didn't hurt, but was extremely soothing to her arm. The rock was cool to the touch and wasn't coarse but was almost as smooth as if it were washed out by water for several years.

She reached the entrance to the cave and found herself blinded temporarily by the sudden intake of bright sunshine. It was gorgeous outside, once her eyes became used to it. There was a small waterfall to the right of her which cascaded down into a bubbling little pool that looked no deeper than three feet. Surrounding the cave were woods, thick and strong. The trees stood close to each other and the lower growth were so tangled together it looked almost impossible to get out of. There were several paths that led in and out of the clearing, as if some of the forest animals met here daily to rest and find peace from the hectic daily life. There were already some smaller creatures by the other side of the pool; several small rabbits hopped playfully near the pool's edge and a couple squirrels darted in and out of the tree roots.

On the right side, there were the remains of a small fire. The logs were burnt and turning slowly to ash, but some embers still remained in the center, still hot. She now suddenly felt the pit of her stomach completely empty and, at a completely inconvenient time, heard it grumble loudly. She rubbed her abdomen, trying to soothe its horrid hunger pangs. Besides the pool, there really was no sign of food nearby, and she didn't feel physically able to venture too far into the woods. Besides, she didn't want to worry InuYasha if he came back and she was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the bushes and the brush around the bases of the trees, hoping for some sort of berry or nut that happened to be left by the animals unnoticed. She walked round the opening but only found three small raspberries and an acorn.

_Better than nothing,_ she thought as she threw the raspberries into her mouth and savored the sweet yet tangy juiciness that cascaded over her tongue. It satisfied her enough to sit beside the embers and await for InuYasha's return back. She did hang onto the acorn in case he was longer than she hoped. If she had to, she would eat it, but she'd rather not…

She leaned against the outer rock wall and wrapped his cloak tighter around herself. It was extremely comforting to just sit here this way, listening to the wildlife and their constant chatter, with InuYasha's fire-red robe cradling her as if he was within it. Her eyes began to slowly close and her head rested against the wall as well, her mind fading into dreams…

_Red, swirling, but not soothing… It was fiery, with orange and yellow, and it licked at her skin, stinging and singeing. She squirmed to fight it, to get away, but it enveloped her whole body…_

_And then it vanished. She opened her eyes and saw darkness, black as night, and nothing more. She floated in an ominous nothingness, feeling nothing, seeing nothing, sensing no life around her. _

_But, there was something. She was there, herself, and she looked at her feet. They were there, with their brown loafers and knee-high socks. Her legs, white as they may be, were there too. She saw herself, as if from a distance, floating nearly lifeless in the void. _

_She tried to call out to herself, but she was unconscious. Her voice was muted as well, and she tried to scream out to herself. Nothing left her mouth._

_Just then, an orb of light began to glow from her stomach. She tried to cry out to herself, but to no prevail… it grew and enveloped her entire self, bright, pure, and holy… too pure…_

_It began to turn black and purple, and her self began screaming in pain, in terror, she tried to reach herself but couldn't move… She was paralyzed… Help her! She's in pain! Somebody's cruel laugh, jaunting, sneering at the girl… Nobody would listen, the screaming's getting louder, higher-pitched, make it stop, help her, somebody… anybody…_

"Kagome!!!!!!!"

Her eyes snapped open and she saw two golden amber eyes, wide with shock, staring at her. InuYasha was holding her in his arms once again, gripping her arms tightly. She pressed her hand to her forehead only to find it soaked with sweat; her body was shaking uncontrollably. With that, she rolled out of InuYasha's lap and threw up upon the ashen fire pit.

InuYasha was shocked, but held Kagome's midnight black hair back as she retched over and over. She stopped, but her body was still shaking horribly, and InuYasha pulled her into his lap as he sat cross-legged. He held her, trying to calm her fears. She cried freely into his white shirt, letting the tears create a large damp spot. He stroked her hair and whispered to her, telling her it would all be okay because he was there for her, he wasn't going to leave anymore…

Her crying stopped, and she gazed up into his beautiful eyes.

"You mean that? You'll never leave me?"

He smiled warmly back at her and brushed his hand gently across her cheek.

"I'll never leave you, not ever," he whispered softly. "I-- I love you."

With those last words, he pressed his lips gently against hers, as if cautious that she wouldn't feel the same way. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss, finally knowing that they felt the same way about each other.

It was eternity between them. The kiss deepened and passion took over. InuYasha ran his hand over the back of her head and pushed her into him as she cupped his face in her hands. His other hand grabbed her waist and pressed her body into his, sending sparks up and down each of their spines. He then picked her up bridal style, with one hand caressing her back and the other supporting her legs, and carried her into the cavern, kissing her the entire way.

He set her down gently on the dirt floor and supported himself above her body, as if waiting for something. He gazed down at her, wanting more, but not wanting to hurt her.

"Are you okay with--" he started, but she placed her fingers on his lips, hushing him up.

"Yes."

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Please review and keep reading!

-Kim


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Finally, another chapter! College's just been so busy... So, I will try my hardest to keep up with my writing whenever I can. Keep pushing me to write or else I'll never write again!

WARNING: This chapter's a **lemon**, so if you don't like this kinda stuff, then skip over this chapter and not too much will be missed. It's not all citrus-y stuff... just most of it...

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He stared at her for a short moment, heart soaring and unable to believe that she felt the same way about him. His heart beat wildly against his rib cage as he swooped down to kiss her passionately, and she returned it with just as much vigor. He reached for her shirt and pulled it gently over her head, tossing her hair about. The lace on her bra was light pink and lined straight down into her cleavage. InuYasha couldn't help but stare in awe at the size of her breasts; he had noticed before that they were larger, but never had they looked this amazing while her shirt was on. He smoothed his rough, calloused hands across her stomach, sending a shiver over her entire body. She reached up and grabbed his robe, pulling him on top of her.

They were passionately kissing, ferociously at times, as their clothes began to melt away from their bodies. Within only minutes, they laid there, Kagome on the dirt floor and InuYasha supporting himself above her with his arms, and stared into each other's eyes as well as explored their bodies. It was a tense moment, broken only by their heavy breathing. She reached up to his chest and caressed it, running her smooth, dainty fingers across his pecks and down to his abdomen. He growled in a low, soft way as she ventured further south, grazing his sensitive area lightly.

He couldn't take it anymore. His body came down upon hers, with force yet with an air of carefulness. He kissed her, trailing his line of kisses down to her neck and chest, and she moaned with each press of his lips against her body. She closed her eyes, enjoying every minute…

_Kagome was laying on a straw mat in a darkly lit room that held no windows…_

_As he rolled on top of her, ready to enter her body, Kagome's internal screams building up to a dull roar, the light in the corner went out…_

_His eyes bored into her skull, even though there were no lights; she could see his vivid red eyes, staring at her…_

_He entered her, over and over, never ceasing to stop, laughing maniacally, his voice harsh and cruel…_

_Those eyes…_

Kagome screamed and her eyes flew completely open with fear. InuYasha stopped his caressing and stared at her, fear also flooding into his eyes. What was going on?

"Kagome? Are you alright? Maybe this isn't the best time…"

She took several deep breaths and looked up at InuYasha, his eyes filled also with care and concern. She loved him even more and felt her face begin to blush slightly. This was what she wanted, who she wanted it to be with… He didn't know anything about… Well, he didn't need to know anything. She wanted to forget everything about it.

"InuYasha," she said soothingly, and reached her hand up and cradled his face in it. "I love you, and would never imagine being any other place right now."

"Are you sure you're okay with this? Because if you're not ready, I'm okay with…"

"I'm ready."

He smiled at her and kissed her hand gently as he lowered himself once again on her delicate frame. He caressed her body and kissed her gently as he entered into her body. She gasped lightly at first, but as he eased gently further in, she began to arch her back more and more. It was complete bliss, as if they were within a dream of a dream, and they began to find a rhythm between themselves. As he climaxed, she let out a light scream and he pushed himself completely inside her.

Their heavy breathing was all that was heard within the cavern as InuYasha remained within her, feeling completely whole for the first time in his life. He found the one true love in his life; Kikyo had originally expected humanity from him, and she also passed from this life long ago, even though a clay formation wandered the woods posing as Kikyo. Although he loved his mother more than life itself, she was gone as well. This was the one person he had loved more than life itself and would protect over anything.

He left her body and laid on the ground beside her, gathering dirt on his sweaty body. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards his body. His other hand slipped gently under her head and she rested upon his bicep. She felt his heartbeat slowing down against her back and began to regain a normal breathing speed. Her body started to become weaker and her mind began to drift away to sleep. She knew that tonight she wouldn't have nightmares, for InuYasha was there to protect her. Her body rolled onto its back and she snuggled into his chest, wrapping her hands around his chest and waist. He was so warm and comforting, and she drifted to sleep within his arms.

InuYasha took his time in sleeping; he wanted to make sure she was sleeping peacefully before he let himself drift away. He nuzzled his head against her soft hair, breathing deeply her intoxicating scent. She was finally his, only his to have and to hold.

"I love you, Kagome…" he whispered into her ear when she had drifted into her dreams. Finally he laid his head down on the ground and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to overtake him.

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Keep reviewing please! That motivates me to keep writing at a quicker pace! Thank you to the dedicated readers who keep me going and help to remind myself that this is NOT a dead story and I do NOT have writer's block... THANK YOU!!!!!

Kim


	8. Chapter 8

Hey there kiddies! So, I apologize for not having a chapter for a long, long time, but college is demanding! It is finals week, so I probably won't be writing another chapter until after the madness is over. I will have tons of time to write during Christmas break because I'm getting my jaw busted, so I figure that I'll be writing a lot because I'll have nothing else to do. It might be kind of weird writing though because I'll be on pain killers, so if its not grammatically correct, give me some slack. Anyways, here's the eighth chapter!

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Kagome slowly began to fall back into reality as the sunlight filtered into the once dark cave. She fluttered her eyelashes towards the beams of light, greeting them with a cute smile that formed on her lips. There were no nightmares last night for her; her dreams were fantastic, floating among the clouds, with InuYasha by her side…

_Wait a minute… Where is he?_

She lifted her head up to look around the cave, but no one was there. _That's why it was so quiet in here, _she thought to herself as she slowly sat up. A red kimono fell lightly across her lap and she realized that it was InuYasha's. She grabbed it lightly with her hands and wrapped her delicate frame in it. As she stepped outside the cave, she heard the wind whistling through the trees and saw the branches waving to her cheerily with the breeze. It came up and caressed her face gently and ruffled InuYasha's kimono around her legs. She still felt weak and shaky, but her strength was returning to her faster than she would have thought possible. Now she felt she could go out and collect some berries and nuts for her breakfast… or lunch, was it now?

As she began venturing into the bushes and shrubs surrounding the clearing, she ended up gathering a large handful of raspberries and blueberries for herself, enough for a satisfactory meal at least. She wandered back to the cave's entrance and sat outside of it, listening to the birds twittering in the treetops and the scampering of feet from the woodland animals. Each moment she savored, yet she listened intently for InuYasha's return as well. She was anxious to see him again, and yet at the same time she was nervous to see how he would act from now on. He had said that he loved her… just thinking about it sent shivers up and down her spine. She felt so much more… well, more like herself. She felt like a part of her soul had returned to her with his confession, as if she was incomplete before. Now, she was whole and completely happy, and it was all with InuYasha.

Kagome reached up and started to run her fingers through her hair, then realized that she hadn't taken a bath in a good week. The bubbling pool looked inviting, so she stepped nimbly into its depths. At first it was chilly, but as she tossed InuYasha's kimono on the side of the pool and lowered her body beneath the surface, it became pleasant to her skin. She dipped her head beneath the rippling waves and let the water envelop her entirely like a satin bed sheet. She massaged her head to try and remove some of the grime built up in her hair. Even though the water was colder than she would have liked, she still felt ten times better just by washing herself. It was like she was letting the last couple of days fall right off of her and float away with the waves. She didn't like how many cuts and bruises littered her body though. She felt like a piece of meat from the butcher's shop as she ran her fingers across several of the deeper wounds that had sealed themselves up. She just wanted to block out everything to do with Naraku right now; she didn't want to remember. Now that InuYasha had saved her, she didn't have to remember anything. He didn't want to know what had happened, and probably wouldn't want to know anyway. He'd be livid with fury and there'd be more of a chance of him transforming into a full demon. Yes, she decided to keep this secret from the rest. She'd just bury everything deep within herself and forget it ever happened. _It didn't happen, nothing happened, he may have kidnapped me and beat me, but he didn't touch me further than that…_

She emerged from the surface gasping for air and floated along to the edge of the pool where InuYasha's red kimono lay, still and immobile. She really wanted to go home for a few days, but with what was happening they'd need to meet back up with Miroku, Sango and Shippo soon. Then they'd probably keep hunting down the jewel shards and Naraku as well… As she wrapped the kimono around her waist, she had a feeling that it might be a while before she went back home.

Just as Kagome started a fire with some logs laying by the fire pit, InuYasha emerged into the clearing with a dead deer. He looked at Kagome with warm eyes and a small curve of his lips into a smile before walking over to the side to slice the deer into smaller pieces. Kagome's heart began to flutter the instant he entered the clearing. The smile was enough to melt her heart, but he didn't acknowledge her any further. _Typical InuYasha…_

The fire was roaring and snapping by the time InuYasha had the deer prepared. They proceeded to place it on long sticks and cook it kabob-style over the flames.

"If only we had some ramen…" InuYasha sulked as he ate his venison.

"That's all you can think about, ramen?"

He wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered softly into her ear, "That's not all I can think about…"

Kagome giggled girlishly and covered her mouth as he started to lick her ear and nibble at the edges. It sent electrical shockwaves up and down Kagome's back and she arched her neck in pleasure. He roamed down from her ear and began licking her neck, then whispered something she had desperately wanted to hear for the longest time.

"I want to make you mine forever. Will you be my mate?"

She turned to look at him, his eyes set on her. This was the one thing she had wanted to hear him say since she had met him, but now that he said it she didn't know what to think. She was eighteen, after all; why shouldn't she get married, or mated in his case? She was sure her mother wouldn't object to it; on the contrary, she might have expected something like this to happen. She was more worried about whether this would be a mistake or not.

"InuYasha… I love you… and…" she breathed heavily, trying to make out what the whizzing thoughts in her head were telling her. "…and yes. I want to be your mate."

InuYasha's face lit up and he was grinning from ear to ear. He grabbed her and kissed her passionately. She had said yes! She would be his for eternity, his alone. He could see their future lives pass before his eyes; their home in the forest, small but cozy, with three or four little hanyou pups running around their feet and Kagome expecting another, and they were happy…

He pulled away, smiling even wider at her, and she was returning the smile with as much fervor. He pulled her up into his lap and she laughed lightly while snuggling into his embrace. They watched the fire lick hungrily at the air above it and just sat there, silence overcoming both of them. They just let the moment take over, both wishing they could remain here forever.

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Hope you all enjoyed it! Please review and keep reading my devoted fans! I love you all!!!

-Kim


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Overprotectiveness**

I'm so glad to be getting another chapter out there! It seems like it's been forever since I've been writing any chapters for ANY of my stories... Well, that dry streak is over! I've really got nothing better to do at 2:30 in the morning... so this will do! Enjoy!

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They had returned to Miroku and Sango the next day and remained on the hunt for the jewel shards and Naraku, except everyone seemed to want revenge more than ever. Only Kagome secretly did not share the same passion to kick ass. She just wanted to return to a normal life, but what about hers was in the first place?

InuYasha seemed to grow more protective over Kagome, which was no surprise to the priestess. It was alarming, and comforting, to both Miroku and Sango who may not have known they mated but figured something happened for InuYasha to be arguing with her about bathing alone and Kagome to not fight back as ferociously as she once did.

Their relationship status may have taken a huge leap, but their luck with the jewel shards or with Naraku was little to none. Within the following two months, they only acquired one shard from a large bull youkai and had absolutely no leads on getting closer to killing Naraku. Kagome was getting tired of this, not just mentally but physically as well. Their tromping around the entire countryside not only made her impatient, but she was getting homesick. It had been two months since she had seen her mother or Souta, or even Gramps. She brought the thought of returning home up during one of their meals round the campfire, hoping everyone would consent to going back to Kaede's village for a short break.

"I see no reason why we can't take a well-deserved break," Sango chimed in, showing her support towards Kagome through InuYasha's relentless argument against the decision.

"I've really got to get more supplies! Like ramen…" Kagome enticed, stopping InuYasha's rant in its tracks.

"Why didn't you say we were out of ramen! That's a freakin' crime! We'll go back right now!"

Kagome stopped, kind of unsure of what she heard. "Wait, 'WE'? I thought I was just going home."

"Hell no. When ramen's on the line, I'm in. Anyways, we've got to get back on the trail for shards, so I'm going with to keep you on track for time." InuYasha leaned back and rested his head between his hands.

Kagome gave him a quizzical look as he relaxed against a tree trunk. "Oh, really? You think I'm just gonna stay behind and forget about the Feudal Era, about what I did to the Shikon jewel, or even about my friends back here?"

"Wait, I wasn't implying--"

"Or maybe he thinks that the call of my bubble bath's too much to handle… Perhaps he thinks I'll hoard all the ramen for myself?"

InuYasha leaped up from his resting position and reached to grab her. "Okay, now that's one step too far! Don't mess with MY ramen!"

Kagome screeched and darted out of his reach, followed by a roar of laughter from the entire group, minus InuYasha. His face glowered with a sour grimace as the rest of the forest seemed to lighten with the mood.

As Kagome laughed joyously along with the others, she felt her stomach start to complete some tremendous flips and she felt everything start to rise back up. _Oh, shit!_ she thought as she ran with her hand covering her mouth from the campsite. InuYasha stopped sulking and jumped after her, but Sango and Miroku stayed behind with a still squealing Shippo.

"I hope she'll be alright," Sango noted. "That meal must've settled horribly with her; perhaps it's a day-long illness?"

"One can only hope," Miroku said as he sipped some of Kagome's cranberry-grape juices from home. When he received a nasty glare emanating from Sango, he cracked a large grin and chuckled merrily. "I'm kidding, Sango! She's probably just got some stomach sickness! Rest and relaxation, that's what she needs. I'm not sure she'll get it from InuYasha though…"

"Speaking of him," Sango stated, "thank goodness they finally got together! We've been waiting for a while now for him to make a move."

"I know, and I realize that they'll want to wait to… uhm, 'inform' us of this," Miroku said. "In the meantime, I believe I will divulge myself in trying to pry it out of InuYasha…"

Sango smacked him across the head, causing him to yelp out in pain. "Don't you dare, you snooping pervert! Keep out of their business until they're ready to tell, is that clear?"

Miroku winced, rubbing his now swelling lump on the top of his head. "…Ow!… crystal clear…"

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Kagome's retching could be heard throughout the silent forest trees, their whispers with the wind nonexistent today. She tried to hold her hair back with her one hand while she supported her shaking body, but was having no better luck feeling less sick. As her dark brown locks dangled dangerously near her face and another round of sickness crept closer, she felt a pair of firm yet soothing hands grasp her shoulders lightly and start to rub back and forth across her arching back. Knowing who it was, she felt just a little more comforted even for just a minute as she heaved to catch her breath. She felt his fingers caress her hair and pull it back behind her sweat-laced neck. She saw a flash of red as he brought the arm of his fire-rat robe to her forehead and delicately wiped the beads of sweat away; Kagome turned her head, still panting, and saw his inches away, clearly worried.

"Kagome?" he whispered, a note of fear lacing his words. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded her head lightly, but even that was too much. The wave of sickness flew over her again and InuYasha still held her hair back, continued to rub her shoulders in a soothing way, whispered gently into her ear, "I'm here, it's okay…"

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The sickening noises dulled to nothing but Kagome's heavy panting and the now light fluttering of the wind through the leaves. She gasped for more air to calm her shaking body while InuYasha tried to soothe her with kind words and gentle hands that rubbed her arched back. This was the fourth time this week that Kagome couldn't keep her meal down and it was really starting to take a toll on her body. Her usually flush, vibrant face now paled under the glowering sun, her chocolate brown eyes laden over with weariness. Even her body figure was beginning to wane a little. She fell into so many uncontrollable fits of vomiting and hot-and-cold flashes, tired easily, and found her stamina and endurance was non-existent. Usually InuYasha wordlessly carried her on his back when she lagged; what really surprised Kagome was his lack of complaining and sarcasm. He truly did love her, didn't he?

As Kagome's breathing slowed to a more calm rate, InuYasha picked her up gently in his arms and walked her back towards the campsite where Miroku and Sango would surely be waiting, concern lacing their complexions. She murmured, almost incoherently, something about a bath, but InuYasha's sensitive hearing caught her request to be taken to the hot spring and thus turned towards the right. He followed a lightly worn animal path towards the bubbling and hissing sounds of the springs. Respecting her wishes, he set her down gently by the edge of the pool then kissed her gently on the cheek bone before bounding up into a nearby tree. It swayed lightly with InuYasha's weight as he swiveled away from the water's surface and gave Kagome privacy without leaving her defenseless. Ever since Naraku kidnapped her he had been on his guard all the time, almost seeming overprotective. Since she was his mate now, it seemed fitting for InuYasha to be this way, and since Kagome wasn't complaining there was no reason to hold back. InuYasha's mind was deep in turmoil as he thought about Kagome. He couldn't lose another woman to Naraku. Not after Kikyo.

Just thinking of her, the woman of his past, caused InuYasha to cringe with painful memories. Sure, he had loved Kikyo once fifty years ago, and sure, they had amazing times shared together, but their dreams were cut short by Naraku. She had wanted him to change for her, something he would have done for her but wouldn't for himself. Personally, he liked being part-demon; just having that half blood gave him the strength to keep fighting and keep living.

While InuYasha's thoughts carried him away, Kagome had already stripped and lowered herself gingerly into the relaxing spring water. It caressed her body and enveloped herself like a warm blanket, carrying away all her aches and fears. She sighed heavily, thinking back on her week. It definitely was rough trying to travel and be sick at the same time. She could never keep up with the rest of the group which led to an annoyed InuYasha, though he was getting better at not showing his disgruntled expressions. She just wanted this… was it a flu? Whatever illness she was carrying in her bloodstream, she wanted it out and her normal self back.

Kagome let her head rest back on one of the rocks surrounding the spring, closing her tired eyes and letting her mind wander here and there. It was moments later that she suddenly was brought back to that night with InuYasha. Her face started flushing as the memories began to flow throughout her head. The way he held her body close to his, the passion ignited between their bodies, how he kissed her body so gently…

Her eyes flew open as a realization hit her like a dead weight. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she quickly grabbed her clothes and whipped them back on her damp body. "InuYasha!" Kagome yelled out to him. He whipped around and jumped quickly to the ground, expecting an attack. A quizzical look covered his face when he just saw Kagome standing before him, scared beyond anything he had ever seen before.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

Her breathing was shallow and shaky.

"I need to go home, and fast."

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Ooooohhh, suspense! Just you wait until the next chapter... Now I'm getting excited to write again! Thank you to complicating plot points:) Keep reading and reviewing o wonderous fans! Thanks for being devoted!

Kim


	10. Chapter 10

-1"Positive."

Kagome couldn't take her eyes off of the home pregnancy test. She didn't believe the first two that she threw in the small garbage, but the third confirmation seemed to pull her out of denial. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel, she almost couldn't breathe. There it was, pink and positive, almost ironically cheerful. It was beaming back up at her, rubbing the fact in her paled face in a fearless manner. What went wrong?

Kagome didn't know who or where to turn to. Everything seemed to be in a blur, the world around her a sort of ideological falsified thing. Her eyes were opened from the ignorance they once believed, that being love was all that mattered and nothing would happen to innocent Kagome. She thrived on the idea that being with InuYasha would be pure bliss and no worries; yet here she stood, still gripping the pregnancy stick with white knuckles, knowing full well that her dream world had just shattered.

There came a faint knocking on the wooden bathroom door which brought Kagome back from her confusing thoughts. She turned towards its direction to see her mother poking her head within the bathroom, concern splashed across her face.

"Kagome? Is everything alright?"

No matter how much she tried to hold back, her warm liquid tears still leaked out of her eyes and trickled down her pale cheeks. Kagome lost it after that and thrust herself towards her mother, who wrapped her matronly arms tightly around her only daughter. No words were needed to understand; they just stood there, mother and daughter, listening to silent sobs and soft cooing echo around the tiled bathroom. Kagome loved her mother so much; she never seemed outraged or upset when things went wrong or unexpected. She just… just _loved_ continuously.

"Mama… What am I going to do?" Kagome hiccupped out softly, her glassy eyes looking upwards for answers.

"Well, maybe you should tell InuYasha… I mean, it's his child, isn't it?" her mother said warmly, stroking Kagome's long raven tresses. Kagome nodded in agreement, yet she still felt an ongoing battle raging within herself. She could tell him, but how would he react? Would he be accepting of it, or would he discard her for being idiotic? Maybe he thought they were too young to raise a child… Kagome felt that she was still too inexperienced to be a proper mother. The other option would be to not tell him and keep going as if nothing happened, but the truth would come out eventually. Would that be worse than telling him in the first place? She was so confused, it was giving her an oncoming headache.

"Mama, I'm scared, I'm just so scared!" Kagome cried, hiding in her mother's shoulder and crying noisily. "I know he'd be a good father, but am I ready to raise a child? I'm only eighteen! What if he rejects me? What if he leaves? What if--"

"I'll never leave you, Kagome."

A gasp escaped her lips as her head whipped up, eyes wide with surprise. There he was, standing in the door frame. She detached herself from her mother's side and walked slowly towards him…

"Kagome," he said, his face calming and caring, "You're my mate, and I love you. How could you think I'd leave you, let alone reject you?"

She reached him, eyes threatening to overflow with tears again.

"You heard--"

"Every word. And I think," he nearly whispered as he pulled Kagome closer to his body, "that it's beautiful."

Kagome relaxed into his embrace, sobbing once again. This time, though, they were tears of happiness and relief. InuYasha held onto her tightly, grinning from ear to ear at the news…

He was going to be a daddy!


End file.
